Gov. Vilsack to give keynote speech at Drake conference Gov. Vilsack to give keynote speech at Drake conference Iowa leaders in business, government and health care will share their views on Iowa's future during the conference, which will run from 8:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. at Drake's Olmsted Center. The conference, presented by the Drake University Center for Professional Studies, is designed for economic development professionals, elected and administrative leaders, business leaders impacted by public policy, students of public policy and administrators of public and nonprofit organizations. There will be various sessions featuring panel discussions on a wide array of topics, including the impact of the Nov. 7 election on Iowa's future leadership. Other panels will explore topics such as health care innovation, the role of government in economic development, renewable energy, Iowa's future workforce and innovations in community development and education. The cost is $50 per person and $40 per student. The registration fee covers access to all sessions, breakfast snack, lunch and dinner. For more information or to register, visit To celebrate his Drake experience as well as commemorate his 15-year anniversary at Citizens Financial Group, Fish announced an agreement with Drake earlier this fall to offer the Fish Family Scholarship, a $500,000 commitment to fund a full, four-year scholarship that he plans to offer every year. "The time I spent at Drake prepared me to move forward in life with confidence," Fish said. "For some time now, I have been considering how to express my gratitude to my alma mater." The scholarship includes Drake tuition, room and board and a $2,000 annual stipend. The award is eligible for a child of an employee of Citizens Financial Group who is pursuing a degree in journalism or business. "I am doing this in order to provide a young person with an opportunity to attend this wonderful college with the luxury of being able to dedicate themselves fully to their education and time away at school, without financial worry," Fish said. Under Fish's leadership, Citizens Bank has grown 25-fold, with more than 27,000 employees nationwide. Fish is a director of The Royal Bank of Scotland Group and Textron Inc. and a member of the Board of Trustees of The Brookings Institution in Washington, D.C. He also serves as a director of the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston and is on the board of trustees of Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Fish earned his MBA from the Harvard Graduate School of Business Administration. Each of the hour-long sessions counts as one credit toward the Excellence in Learning and Development Certificate, plus awards the chance to win door prizes like massages and gift cards. Drake Athletic Director Sandy Hatfield-Clubb will present the keynote speech, titled "Some Things I've Learned Along the Way," to be held at 2 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 16, in Sheslow Auditorium. For more information about registering for sessions, call Laura Schwarz at x3133. The remaining sessions are listed in the calendar section of On Campus. The presenters will be Amy Wisniewski, assistant professor of biology, and her students - Sarah Cooper, Natalie Greco, Kayla Hatt, Michelle Reinke and Andrea Schwager. The students are using three-dimensional animation and virtual reality to develop an interactive Web site that will present information to young people about the effects of methamphetamine on the body. Their goal is to increase scientific literacy and decrease use of methamphetamine. "We would like Iowa to be known not only as a leader in meth use, but in meth education," Wisniewski said. Jazz I, directed by Andrew Classen, director of jazz studies, will perform at 8 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 19, on the Jordan Stage in Sheslow Auditorium in Old Main. This concert was originally scheduled for Nov. 17. Jazz I toured Europe last summer and performed at the prestigious Montreux Jazz Festival in Switzerland. A review of Jazz I's latest CD, "Swing Classics," in JazzTimes magazine states that "Drake University boasts a fearless jazz ensemble. This band takes on monster charts and produces a highly polished sound." Jazz II, directed by James Romain, assistant professor of saxophone and jazz studies, will perform at 8 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 28, in the Performing Arts Hall in the Harmon Fine Arts Center. "Trailers also challenged the stability of Cold War surveillance," said Smith, who explained that the mobility and diversity of trailer-dwelling populations made them suspect. Trailer parks were seen as the antithesis of stationary, ordered suburbs. Even President Hoover demonized trailer parks, and many texts of the period portrayed them as shady or dangerous. Students responded to Smith's hour-long presentation by creating works of visual art, which will be displayed in a free exhibition. The exhibition, titled "The Smith Project: An Artist's Response to the Work of Prof. Dina Smith," runs from Nov. 17 through Dec. 8 in the Weeks Gallery in the lobby of the Harmon Fine Arts Center. There will be an opening reception from 5 to 7 p.m. Friday, Nov. 17. Both the reception and exhibition are free and open to the public. The Weeks Gallery is open from 5 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily. The former athletic business manager and sports information director has served as the school's athletic historian since he retired from Drake in 1986. At a spry 89 years old, no one can match Morrison's zeal for being involved in intercollegiate athletics. Morrison is in the midst of a transcontinental journey with Bulldog teams that will see him travel 6,492 miles in a five-day span. He attended his 626th Drake football game Saturday in Jacksonville, Fla., and cheered the Bulldogs as they won 47-28. He returned to Des Moines Sunday and will travel with the Drake men's basketball team to Fairbanks, Alaska, Tuesday as the Bulldogs open their season competing in the Top of the World Classic. "I rode on a ferry boat in Florida on Friday and I will be on dogsled run with the basketball team in Alaska on Wednesday," said Morrison, who is a member of the College Sports Information Directors Hall of Fame. "I'm looking forward to Alaska. "My Drake travels will be comparable to my extremes when I was in the Army," added Morrison, who was stationed in Maryland and The Philippines during World War II. Drake University Law School's Joan and Lyle Middleton Center for Children's Rights is teaming up with the Polk County Model Court and KidSake Foster/Adopt Iowa to present the event, which is free and open to the public. Adoption Saturday is part of a nationwide effort to finalize adoptions of children from foster care during National Adoption Month. To date, more than 12,000 children have found permanent families through National Adoption Day. Organizers expect some 40 children will be adopted at this year's event in Des Moines. Last year, 41 children were successfully adopted and almost 1,000 people attended. An informational fair will take place on the first floor of the courthouse, featuring professionals providing information about local and international adoption agencies and highlighting the need for foster parents. The second floor of the courthouse will host private adoption proceedings. A half-hour public program will start at 10:30 a.m. Speakers will include Associate Juvenile Judge Constance Cohen, a Drake Law School alumna who started Adoption Saturday in Des Moines; Chief Judge Arthur E. Gamble, former foster children Rusty Johnson, SaBreena Boyd and Terri Bailey as well as Department of Human Services Commissioner Kevin Concannon. The Joan and Lyle Middleton Center for Children's Rights was established at the Drake Legal Clinic in 2001 with a $1 million gift from Drake alumni Joan and Lyle Middleton. The Middleton Center advances children's rights through the legal process, training programs, public information and public policy formulation. Drake law students actively participate in the interdisciplinary programs. Andrews discussed the South African Constitution and its impact on women's equality vs. traditional cultures in her lecture, titled "Constitutional Embrace of Indigenous Values and Gender Equality in South Africa: a 'Marriage' Made in Heaven or One Headed for Divorce?" Growing up in South Africa during the brutal apartheid control, she has witnessed the government's transformation to a multi-racial democracy. In her hour-long lecture, Andrews cited several recent court examples revealing the problems posed when values of equality and respect of indigenous people's rights conflict, such as the recent high-profile rape trial against Jacob Zuma, the former deputy president of South Africa. During the trial, Zuma drew from his native Zulu culture as a defense. Andrews asserted that South Africa's constitution - which she referred to as one of the most liberal in the world - could provide insights for other struggling governments, particularly developing democracies in Iraq and Afghanistan. The key difference, Andrews said, is that a baseline for establishing democracy existed in South Africa. "Everyone believed, at least formally, that inequality should not be tolerated," she said. Though she said that she senses such a strong desire for gender equality may not pervade the Iraqi and Afghanistan societies at this point, the outlook is not entirely negative. "I do have hope, because there are remarkable women doing remarkable things and working against tremendous odds," Andrews said. Andrews earned two undergraduate degrees from the University of Natal in Durban, South Africa, and holds a Master of Law degree from Columbia Law School. She is working on a manuscript on women's rights, "From Capetown to Kabul: Rethinking Women's Human Rights," and is the contributing co-editor of "The Post-Apartheid Constitutions: Reflections on South Africa's Basic Law." She also is editor of a forthcoming volume titled "Comparative Constitutionalism and Rights: Global Perspectives." At Drake, Spong studied composition with Francis J. Pyle, organ with Frank B. Jordan and voice with Andrew White. He also served on the Drake faculty as assistant director of choral activities and was a member of the voice and organ faculty from 1961 to 1966. In 1976 he received the Drake Alumni Distinguished Service Award. He also held teaching positions at Washington State University in Pullman, Angelo State University in Texas, the University of Missouri-Kansas City, the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music in Ohio and Luther College in Decorah, Iowa. Although he officially retired from Luther in 1997 and moved to Iowa City, he served as visiting professor of music there in the spring of 2001. From 1964 to 1999, Spong was the primary concert pianist for Drake alumnus Sherrill Milnes, baritone with leading opera houses in the United States and Europe, in concerts throughout the world. They performed together at several White House dinners and at the Lincoln Memorial Prayer Service that was part of President Jimmy Carter's inaugural celebration. Milnes, FA'57, GR'58, and Spong were scheduled to give a concert at Drake in February 1993 to mark the renovation and rededication of Old Main Auditorium as Sheslow Auditorium. Milnes was unable to travel to Des Moines because of illness, so Spong accompanied several members of the Drake music faculty as they performed. As an encore, he asked members of the audience to call out piano pitches, which he recorded on an index card and then propped up on the music rack, announcing that he was going to play what the audience had dictated. With Milnes, Spong recorded on RCA, VAI-Audio and New World labels, and with Todd Thomas, operative baritone from Philadelphia on Diadem records. While at the Cincinnati Conservatory, Spong accompanied Andrew White on recital tours throughout the United States, in Southeast Asia and in Israel. He also coached the Young Artists program and conducted master classes with the Cedar Rapids Opera Theatre. Spong held combined organist-choirmaster positions in many churches, including both First United Methodist Church and St. Paul's Episcopal Church in Des Moines, First Baptist Church in Philadelphia and First United Methodist Church in Iowa City. He also was a noted composer, with numerous published organ solos and anthems of sacred music from 10 publishers. In addition, Spong toured as an organist, giving recitals emphasizing compositions by U.S. composers. A Celebration of Jon Spong's Life will be held at 2:30 p.m. Friday, Dec. 1, at the Iowa City Senior Center, 28 S. Linn St., Iowa City. Memorials may be made to the Cedar Rapids Opera Theatre, 1120 Second Ave. S.E., Cedar Rapids, Iowa 52403. Online condolences may be sent to The Drake University Community School of Music will hold an informational meeting for string players and pianists interested in participating in small chamber ensembles at 10 a.m. Saturday, Nov. 18, in the Harmon Fine Arts Center, 25th Street and Carpenter Avenue. Placement auditions will begin immediately following the meeting. Coached by Drake music faculty members Lin He and Ashley Sidon, individual ensembles will receive weekly, 45-minute private coaching sessions. Recitals will occur during the spring semester. The cost of participating is $16.50 per person per session. For more information or to reserve an audition time, contact Christine Schneider at the Drake University Community School of Music at x4011. The deadline for applications is Wednesday, Nov. 15. Two more TalkAbouts are scheduled for the fall semester. On Saturday, Nov. 18, Director Tony Humrichouser will provide an insider's look at Drake's production of "The Boyfriend," a delightful musical running Nov. 16-19 in the Performing Arts Hall, Harmon Fine Arts Center. Cost for dinner and the musical is $25. On Friday, Dec. 1, Conductor Bob Meunier will give a talk on the Wind Symphony and Concert Band performance scheduled for that evening. He will discuss the repertoire to be performed by the Wind Symphony and a synopsis of the history of the Drake University bands, presented with Thompson Brandt, Don Marcouiller and other former Drake band directors scheduled to appear. The cost for dinner and concert is $20. Reservations for both TalkAbouts may be made by calling x3147. The performance will be the first concert of the 36th Annual Drake University Honor Band Festival. The program will feature works by William Schuman, Julie Giroux, Morten Lauridsen, Percy Grainger and other band composers of the 20th century. Colleges are selected to appear in the book based on various criteria, including tuition rates and survey responses by the dean of students and by students. These 247 colleges chosen represent the best combination of sound data and student satisfaction, according to Barron's. Now in its ninth edition, the book gives information on Drake's campus setting, student/faculty ratio, freshman profile, faculty profile, tuition and fees and room and board. |
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